Bridge Project is dedicated to exposing the conservative movement’s dishonest tactics, dismantling its extreme ideology, and shining light on the moneyed special interests that fund it.

House Of Hate: The GOP’s War On Equality

Earlier this month, the Senate affirmed that all Americans deserve basic civil rights in the workplace regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Backed by a large majority of voters who believe it should be illegal to fire somebody because they are gay, 64 senators – including 10 Republicans – came together in support of the bill, which social conservatives have bitterly opposed since it was first introduced in the 1990s. Now, the only thing standing in the way of long-overdue protections for LGBT workers is House Speaker John Boehner, who has declared his opposition and signaled that he may not even allow a vote on it.

Boehner has justified his stance by falsely suggesting that any workplace discrimination is already illegal, but past statements by many members of his party reveal another factor at play: the homophobia and bigotry of extreme House Republicans. Among other ugly views, conservative House members have described homosexuality as “personal enslavement,” compared being gay to “somebody who has love for an animal,” and warned that LGBT rights are “a threat to the nation’s survival.”

The choice for Boehner is clear. He can listen to the American people and recognize that everybody deserves equal rights in the workplace, or he can acquiesce to the far right and turn the people’s House into a House of Hate.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Rep. Steve King On ENDA: “This Is The Homosexual Lobby Taking It Out On The Rest Of Society And They Are Demanding Affirmation For Their Lifestyle, That’s At The Bottom Of This.” In a radio interview with Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said, “This is the homosexual lobby taking it out on the rest of society and they are demanding affirmation for their lifestyle, that’s at the bottom of this.” [YouTube.com, 5/11/10]

Rep. Steve King On ENDA: “If You Don’t Project It, If You Don’t Advertise It, How Would Anyone Know To Discriminate Against You?” In a radio interview with Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said, “And he said, ‘let me ask you a question.’ ‘Am I heterosexual or am I homosexual?’ And they looked him up and down, actually they should have know, but they said, ‘we don’t know.’ And he said, ‘exactly, my point. If you don’t project it, if you don’t advertise it, how would anyone know to discriminate against you?’ And that’s at the basis of this. So if people wear their sexuality on their sleeve and then they want to bring litigation against someone that they would point their finger at and say ‘you discriminate.’” [King Interview via ThinkProgress, 5/11/10]

Rep. Steve King On Same-Sex Marriage: “Not Only Is It A Radical Social Idea, It Is A Purely Socialist Concept In The Final Analysis.” According to The Hill, “Same sex marriage is part of a socialist agenda to undermine ‘the foundations of individual rights and liberties,’ Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said Wednesday. […] ‘Not only is it a radical social idea, it is a purely socialist concept in the final analysis,’ King said.” [The Hill, 9/23/09]

Rep. Vicki Hartzler (R-MO)

Rep. Vicki Hartzler On Same-Sex Marriage: “Why Not Allow An Uncle To Marry His Niece? Why Not Allow A 50-Year-Old Man To Marry A 12-Year Old Girl?” At the Eagle Forum Collegians 2011 Summit, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) said, “Why not allow an uncle to marry his niece? Why not allow a 50-year-old man to marry a 12-year-old girl if they love each other and they’re committed? So, pretty soon, if you don’t set parameters, you don’t have any parameters at all, the license means nothing — the marriage means nothing. It’s their right to marry whoever they want, but we’re saying marriage is between a man and a woman. So, there’s a difference there.” [Hartzler Remarks via Right Wing Watch, 6/3/11]

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)

Rep. Duncan Hunter On Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: “The Homosexual Lobby Isn’t Simply Pressing For Equal Status…They Would Like A Military Takeover.” In a radio interview with the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) said, “We’re not especially clairvoyant, we can’t see into the future, but the homosexual lobby isn’t simply pressing to have equal status in the military with people that are heterosexual. They would like a military takeover by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, and that’s what they’re going to keep pushing for until it happens.” [Hunter Remarks via PoliticalCorrection.org, 10/14/11]

Rep. Duncan Hunter On Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: “Special Bond” Between Soldiers Is Broken “If You Open Up The Military To Transgenders, To Hermaphrodites, To Gays And Lesbians.” In an interview with NPR, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) explained his opposition to repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by saying, “Well, because I think that it’s bad for the cohesiveness and the unity of the military units, especially that are in close combat — that are in close quarters in country right now. It’s not the time to do it. It’s — the military is not civilian life, and I think the folks that have been in the military that have been in these very close situations with each other –there has to be a special bond there, and I think that that bond is broken if you open up to the military to transgenders, to hermaphrodites, to gays and lesbians.” [Duncan Interview via YouTube, 2/2/10]

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann: “If Gay Marriage Goes Through…Little Children Will Be Forced To Learn That Homosexuality Is Normal And Natural And That Perhaps They Should Try It.” In an excerpt of a speech played by CNN, Michele Bachmann said, “This is an earthquake issue. This will change our state forever, because the immediate consequence if gay marriage goes through is that K-12 little children will be forced to learn that homosexuality is normal and natural and that perhaps they should try it.” [CNN, 7/12/11]

Rep. Michele Bachmann: Being Gay “Is Personal Bondage, Personal Despair, And Personal Enslavement…It’s Part Of Satan, I Think, To Say That ‘This Is Gay.’” In an excerpt of a speech played by CNN, Michele Bachmann said, “If you’re involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it’s bondage. It is personal bondage, personal despair and personal enslavement. This is not funny. It’s a very sad life. It’s part of Satan, I think, to say ‘This is gay.’ It’s anything but gay. It’s profoundly sad to recognize that almost all, if not all, individuals who have gone into the lifestyle have been abused at one time in their life, either by a male or by a female.” [CNN, 7/12/11]

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)

Rep. Spencer Bachus: “We Could Lose Iraq And Survive; We Lost Vietnam And Survived, But If We Lose This Battle Over Gay Marriage, We Are Doomed.” According to the Birmingham News, “Bachus praised the man he is backing for president, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for ‘risking his political future to support the war.’ McCain’s stand, Bachus said, has damaged his fundraising. Bachus also condemned homosexual marriage as the worst threat to the nation. ‘We could lose Iraq and survive; we lost Vietnam and survived, but if we lose this battle over gay marriage, we are doomed,’ he said.” [Birmingham News, 4/4/07]

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS)

Rep. Tim Huelskamp: “Changing All The Employment Rules To Specifically And Selectively Reward Homosexual Behavior” Is A “Really Radical” Idea. In an interview with Tony Perkins, Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) stated, “So we’ve got to stand up. I’ve always been confused by Republicans that refuse to support a seventy percent position and say, ‘gosh we can’t take our stand there.’ But whether it’s Obamacare, whether it’s these radical DoD [Department of Defense] proposals coming out of the White House or changing all the employment rules to specifically and selectively reward homosexual behavior, those are really radical ideas and most Americans do not accept them.” [Right Wing Watch, 2/13/13]

Rep. Tim Huelskamp: Arguing That Same-Sex Parents Are As Good As One Mother And One Father Is “In Defiance Of Biology, Nature And Common Sense.” According to an op-ed by Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) in the Washington Times, “In the Hollingsworth case, though, The Justice Department argues that children do not need mothers. The Obama administration makes the incredible assertion that motherhood is superfluous to rebut an argument that the traditional two-parent family, led by both a mother and a father, provides the ideal situation to raise a child. In defiance of biology, nature and common sense, the administration argues that children need neither a father nor a mother and that having two fathers or two mothers or more is just as good as having one of each.” [Huelskamp Op-Ed, Washington Times, 4/1/13]

Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)

Rep. Steve Pearce: “The Next Step” After Gay Marriage “Is Polymorphism,” And Someone Might “Marry Everybody In California With AIDS” To Get Them Health Insurance. According to remarks by Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) at an event in Carrizozo, “What’s going on with gay marriage is the redefining- the redefining of a social institution. And the redefinition has serious downside results. We don’t often talk about it in Washington, but one of the serious results is- and in Washington they already assume that gay marriage is a given, that it’s gonna happen, the courts will make it happen- the next step then, is polymorphism, where one marries many. And you would say ‘well that’s not possible’ but where this all gets headed is toward the access to benefits, and so you can imagine that a person would say ‘oh all these people in California don’t have access to AIDS treatments, I’m gonna marry everybody’ – they might say this to themselves- ‘I’m gonna marry everybody in California with AIDS,’ and suddenly they’ve got access to the, maybe the benefit program, the health insurance that a single person has. And so, there are some serious downstream effects when we begin to redefine the terms of what a marriage is, and so I would not have the government telling everybody how to live their life I also would not let them redefine the terms for all of society. Major, major social disturbances waiting downstream from that.” [YouTube, 9/20/08]

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Once You Allow Gay Marriage, Why Not Allow Polygamy Or “Somebody Who Has A Love For An Animal.” According to MSNBC, “This time, Rep. Louie Gohmert is defending high-capacity gun magazines with a wild slippery slope theory. Gohmert is worried limited ammunition could lead to polygamy, or worse: ‘And I pointed out, well, once you make it 10, then why would you draw the line at 10? What’s wrong with nine? Or 11? And the problem is, once you draw that limit, it’s kind of like marriage when you say it’s not a man and a woman anymore. Then why not have three men and one woman? Or four women and one man? Or why not, somebody who has a love for an animal? There is no clear place to draw the line once you eliminate the traditional marriage and it’s the same once you start putting limits on what guns can be used; then it’s just really easy to have laws that make them all illegal.’” [MSNBC, 4/4/13]

Rep. Louie Gohmert: When Militaries Decide It’s “Fine For Homosexuality To Be Overt…They’re Toward The End Of Their Existence As A Great Nation.” According to remarks by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on the House floor, “To my friend who said that history would judge us poorly, I would submit if you would look thoroughly at history — and I’m not saying it’s cause and effect — but when militaries throughout history of the greatest nations in the world have adopted the policy that ‘fine for homosexuality to be overt’ — you can keep it private and control your hormones fine, if you can’t, that’s fine too — they’re toward the end of their existence as a great nation.” [Gohmert Floor Remarks, 12/16/10]

Rep. Louie Gohmert Linked Hate Crimes Bill To Moral Degradation, Economic Instability, And Hitler. According to remarks Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) made on the House floor about hate crimes legislation, “Now, with regard to the hate crimes bill, it should also not be lost that when we talk about protected classes–I think the defense authorization did add the military as a protected class–but just the ability to go into a church and forcefully get a preacher’s notes, DVDs, it’s going to have a chilling effect. There’s no question about it. And in every country where Federal law has adopted laws like this, this has an extremely chilling effect. And I go back to what our friend Chuck Colson had pointed out earlier this year, and that is when you lose morality in a Nation, you create economic instability leading to economic chaos. And when you have economic chaos, it is tragic, but people have always been willing to give up their liberties, their freedoms, in order to gain economic stability. It happened in 1920s and 1930s Germany. They gave up their liberties to gain economic stability, and they got a little guy with a mustache who was the ultimate hate-monger. And this is scary stuff we are doing here when we take away what has traditionally been an important aspect of moral teaching in America.” [Gohmert Floor Remarks, 10/6/09]

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

Rep. Trent Franks On Gay Marriage: “It Literally Is A Threat To The Nation’s Survival In The Long Run.” In a radio interview captured by Right Wing Watch, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) stated, “We understand that when we’re granting the rights of marriage, that that’s a special right Tony, that’s something we have suggested is clearly the best possible way to see children raised through the best possible environment to launch the next generation. […] And when people would come along and blur that distinction and say ‘well that should apply in every way’ it not only is a complete undermining of the principles of family and marriage and the hope of future generations but it completely begins to see our society break down to the extent that that foundational unit of the family that is the hope of survival of this country is diminished to the extent that it literally is a threat to the nation’s survival in the long run.” [Right Wing Watch, 10/28/11]

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Rep. Virginia Foxx: “The Disintegration Of The Family Is The Force Behind So Many Of Our Most Serious Social Problems.” According to a House floor speech by Rep. Virginia Foxx, “It is the right time to discuss a marriage protection amendment. As Members of this Congress, we have a responsibility to look at this critical situation for marriage and the real possibility that the courts are going to redefine marriage. This constitutional amendment would concretely define marriage as we always have: as the union between one man and one woman. The disintegration of the family is the force behind so many of our most serious social problems. We cannot turn a blind eye to the social trends that are doing the most damage to America’s children. The health of American families is built upon marriage, and it affects us all. […] The Massachusetts decision represents the beginning of what could be a dangerous erosion of this sacred tradition that we must protect. Will we put our faith in a few unelected activist judges seated on a bench to define marriage, or will we use the most democratic process we have to affirmatively define marriage as it is intended? We must protect the sanctity of marriage now.” [Foxx Floor Remarks, 7/18/06]

Rep. Virginia Foxx Claimed The Story Of Matthew Shepard’s Murder, For Whom The Hate Crimes Bill Was Named, Was A “Hoax.” According to the Huffington Post, “As the House of Representatives debates an expansion of hate crimes legislation, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) has taken the rhetoric to a new level, claiming that those who say Matthew Shepard was murdered in Wyoming for being gay are perpetrating a ‘hoax’ on the American people. ‘I also would like to point out that there was a bill — the hate crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay. This — the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it’s really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills,’ said Foxx. […] The New York Times reported in 1998: ‘According to the local police and prosecutors, the two men lured Mr. Shepard out of a bar by saying they were gay. Then, the Laramie police say, the pair kidnapped Mr. Shepard, pistol-whipped him with a .357 Magnum, and left him tied to a ranch fence for 18 hours until a passing bicyclist spotted Mr. Shepard, who was unconscious.’” [Huffington Post, 5/30/09]

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI)

Rep. Tim Walberg: “Without The Designed Building Block…Of A Man And Woman Coming Together, Society Itself Is At Risk And Cannot Continue.” At a press conference in reaction to the Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage, Rep. Tim Walberg stated, “In my state, we have clearly defined marriage to be that relationship between a man and a woman. Nowhere have we defined what a love relationship is, what a relationship is in any case. We have not said that those relationships can’t continue. But we’ve said that, for the best interests of society itself — and more importantly, to make sure we understand that the desires of adults are not more important than the needs of children — we have defined marriage to be that relationship between a man and a woman for the best interests of those children. It’s also for the best interests of society, because without the designed building block, the designed building block of a marriage, of a man and woman coming together, society itself is at risk and cannot continue.” [CQ transcript via LexisNexis, 6/26/13]

Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

Rep. Kevin Cramer: “Anybody Can See That Crime Is Going Up In Our Culture…There Are Real Consequences To Children Being Raised In Something Different Than A Traditional Family.” In a North Dakota GOP debate, Rep. Kevin Cramer said, “Even an atheist can look around our society today and see that there has been a degradation of our culture. Anybody can see that crime is going up in our culture, that– that the breakup of the family has had a consequence. You may have a sort of a liberal heart about some things, but the reality is that there are real consequences to children being raised in something different than a traditional family with a mother and a father who love each other and are committed to each other for life.” [NorthDecoder.com, 12/19/11]

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)

Rep. Randy Neugebauer: “With Few Exceptions,” Civilizations That Didn’t Limit Marriage To Opposite-Sex Couples “Perished.” According to House floor remarks from Rep. Randy Neugebauer, “I think really what we are doing on the floor today is determining how America will define itself. Thousands of years and many civilizations have defined a marriage as the union between one man and one woman. With few exceptions, those civilizations that did not follow that perished. Forty-five States, as the gentleman just said, have determined by people that were elected by the people of that State that marriage is the definition of one man and one woman. So, today, we are really on the floor to debate whether America will continue to define itself and the definition of marriage on a godly institution that was established thousands and thousands of years ago that one man and one woman would come together and become one and produce families, families that all across America have said that the definition of marriage is between one man and one woman. I urge my colleagues today to define America as a moral country.” [Neugebauer Floor Remarks, 7/18/06]

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA)

Rep. Joe Pitts: Same-Sex Marriage Is “A Social Experiment That Is Less In Age Than The iPhone” That Will Have “All Kinds Of Negative Consequences.” In an interview with Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, Rep. Joe Pitts said, “This impacts our freedom of religion. And it’s going to have a huge impact on the well-being of children. Marriage is society’s best way to ensure the well-being of children, and you know, the statistics and the studies are really clear about this. This decision is going to have very negative consequences for children, who are best raised by a mother and a father- there are lots of studies, in highly respected – journals and studies, that suggest that there’s a real impact on children. Changing the form of families can affect children. And you have all kinds of negative consequences when you don’t have, for instance, a stable loving family – a mom and dad raising a kid. And so, the cost of our social service network, welfare programs, are going to be greatly impacted by this negative consequence of a social experiment that is less in age than the iPhone. This is the leftist redefinition, you know, that is happening here on our watch.” [Right Wing Watch, 6/26/13]

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)

Rep. Jim Jordan Joined Boycott Of CPAC Over Inclusion Of Gay Republican Group. According to ABC News, “By all indications, this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 activists to Washington, D.C. later this month, will be as popular as ever. […] But not everybody is pleased. Prominent elected officials, including Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as well as several powerful right-leaning groups such as the Family Research Council, the Heritage Foundation, Concerned Women for America, the Media Research Center and others plan to boycott this year’s conference in protest of the involvement of the gay conservative group, GOProud.” [ABC News, 2/2/11]

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)

Rep. Kevin Brady Signed Onto 1993 Amicus Brief Stating That Gays And Lesbians Are “A Great Reservoir Of Dangerous Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” According to The Houston Chronicle, “The state law that prohibits sex between people of the same gender came under fire before the Texas Supreme Court Tuesday, but a ruling on the sodomy law is not expected until later this year. […] But a group of 30 legislators, in a ‘friend of the court’ brief filed Monday, called homosexuality a psychiatric condition that ‘endangers the public health.’ They wrote that gays and lesbians represent ‘a great reservoir of dangerous sexually transmitted diseases’ and said homosexuality is ‘closely associated with other anti-social, deleterious behavior.’ Six of those lawmakers are from the Houston area: state Reps. Kevin Brady, John Culberson, Talmadge Heflin, Mike Jackson, Randy Pennington and Ashley Smith. [Houston Chronicle via LexisNexis, 1/6/93]

Rep. John Culberson (R-TX)

Rep. John Culberson Signed Onto 1993 Amicus Brief Stating That Gays And Lesbians Are “A Great Reservoir Of Dangerous Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” According to The Houston Chronicle, “The state law that prohibits sex between people of the same gender came under fire before the Texas Supreme Court Tuesday, but a ruling on the sodomy law is not expected until later this year. […] But a group of 30 legislators, in a ‘friend of the court’ brief filed Monday, called homosexuality a psychiatric condition that ‘endangers the public health.’ They wrote that gays and lesbians represent ‘a great reservoir of dangerous sexually transmitted diseases’ and said homosexuality is ‘closely associated with other anti-social, deleterious behavior.’ Six of those lawmakers are from the Houston area: state Reps. Kevin Brady, John Culberson, Talmadge Heflin, Mike Jackson, Randy Pennington and Ashley Smith. [Houston Chronicle via LexisNexis, 1/6/93]